Search

Thousands of Sikhs vote in Khalistan referendum

09:33 AM | 1 Nov, 2021
Thousands of Sikhs vote in Khalistan referendum

LONDON – Thousands of Sikhs across the United Kingdom took part in a referendum for an independent Sikh homeland, Khalistan, at the Queen Elizabeth Centre near the British parliament on Sunday

On this day Indian premier Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984 for ordering Operation Blue Star in a bid to curb the Sikh movement.

The voting, organsied by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), started at 9am and continued till 6pm under the supervision and monitoring of a non-aligned panel of direct democracy experts, the Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC).

Thousands who took part in the voting process responded to the question: “Should Indian-governed Punjab Be An Independent Country?”

Chartered buses from more than 100 Gurdwaras transported voters to the Queen Elizabeth Centre where large queues formed throughout the day as eager voters aimed to get into the hall to cast their votes. More than 200 Sikhs volunteered for the day.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said the SFJ is an international human rights advocacy group that spearheads the campaign for Sikhs’ right to self-determination, which is one of the fundamental rights of all people guaranteed in the UN Charter.

He said India had propagated for long that only a few dozen Sikhs were behind the Khalistan movement but the participation by thousands of people in India had shown to the world that Khalistan had the support of tens of millions of Sikhs across the world.

British Sikh human rights activist Paramjeet Singh Pamma, who had been at the center of the controversy between India and the UK over his extradition case, said that Sikhs have showed up to vote in the referendum, in thousands, to express their “anger” at the Indian government’s actions.

Pamma, who has been acting as the UK Coordinator for Khalistan Referendum, further stated that the successful participation showed that Sikhs will never forget what India has done to them to annihilate their identity and history. He said that Sikhs have realized that their salvation lies only when they live in an independent homeland called Khalistan.

A leading Sikh activist, Gurcharan Singh said that “India is a fascist state which believes in the supremacy of Hindus only and doesn’t tolerate other religious minorities”.

He said that the Indian government spent millions of dollars to stop this referendum from taking place but added that the resilience of Sikhs had prevailed. He said thousands came out to register their support for an independent homeland, Khalistan.  

Dupinderjit Singh, who has been actively involved in the Khalistan activism for decades now, said that the Punjab Referendum is the voice of Sikhs from all over the world.

“We have shown to the world today that our voice cannot be suppressed.”

Advertisement

Pakistani rupee inches up against US dollar, Euro, Pound and other currencies - Check forex rates here

Pakistani rupee advanced its winning momentum against US dollar, and other currencies in the open market amid strong economic cues.

Dollar Rate in Pakistan Today

On Saturday, the US dollar was being quoted at 285.15 for buying and 287.95 for selling.

Euro moves down to 309.9 for buying and 310.5 for selling. British Pound rate stands at 359.4 for buying, and 360.05 for selling.

UAE Dirham AED also moved down to 77.45 whereas the Saudi Riyal drops to 75.82.

Today's currency exchange rates in Pakistan – 2 December 2023

Currency Symbol Buying Selling
US Dollar ‎USD 285.15  287.95 
Euro EUR 309.9  310.5 
UK Pound Sterling GBP 359.4  360.05 
U.A.E Dirham AED 77.45  77.6
Saudi Riyal SAR 75.82 75.97
Australian Dollar AUD 187.72 188.22
Bahrain Dinar BHD 759.94 767.94
Canadian Dollar CAD 209.99 210.49
China Yuan CNY 39.78 39.88
Danish Krone DKK 41.95 42.05
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 36.38 36.48
Indian Rupee INR 3.39 3.5
Japanese Yen JPY 1.49 1.56
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 926.39 935.39
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 60.38 60.98
New Zealand Dollar NZD 173.44 175.44
Norwegians Krone NOK 26.25 26.55
Omani Riyal OMR 742.16 750.18
Qatari Riyal ‎QAR 78.5 79.2
Singapore Dollar SGD 212.45 212.95
Swedish Korona SEK 27.09 27.19
Swiss Franc CHF 325.38 325.88
Thai Bhat THB 8.05 8.09

Gold registers big fall in Pakistan; check today gold rates in Pakatan - 2 December 2023

The price of gold fell by thousands of rupees as precious metal lost shine despite an upward trend in the international market.

Gold Rates in Pakistan Today - 2 December 2023

On Saturday, the price of a single tola of 24-karat gold stands at Rs217,300 and 10 grams of 24k gold costs Rs186,300.

Meanwhile, single tola of 22 Karat gold costs Rs199,190, 21 karat rate costs Rs190,138 and 18k gold rate is Rs162,975.

Globally, gold prices hover at around $2072, gaining $32 on Saturday.

Today Gold Rate in Pakistan

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Karachi PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Islamabad PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Peshawar PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Quetta PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Sialkot PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Attock PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Gujranwala PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Jehlum PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Multan PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Bahawalpur PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Gujrat PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Nawabshah PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Chakwal PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Hyderabad PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Nowshehra PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Sargodha PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Faisalabad PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705
Mirpur PKR 217,300 PKR 2,705

Advertisement

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Sign up for Newsletter